The present invention is directed to a gaming machine of the type that may be found in a casino.
A general type of conventional gaming machine has been provided with a display unit that is capable of generating video images, a value-input device, and a controller with a memory and a processor that controls the overall operation of the gaming machine. The controller was programmed to allow a person to make a wager, to cause video images to be generated on the display unit, to determine an outcome of the game, and to determine a value payout associated with the outcome of the game. The conventional gaming machine was programmed to display video images representing a game, which included a number of user-selectable games including video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo.
A first type of conventional gaming machine of the general type noted above was provided with a plurality of value-input devices including a coin acceptor and a ticket reader. The ticket reader was capable of reading a promotional ticket that was issued by a casino and that had data recorded thereon that represented a given number of promotional gaming credits and a validation number. Upon the promotional ticket being inserted into the ticket reader, the ticket reader would read the data on the ticket and check the validity of the validation number with a central computer operatively coupled to the gaming machine. Upon receiving confirmation from the central computer that the validation number was valid, the gaming machine would give the player the number of promotional gaming credits specified by the promotional ticket, thus allowing the player to commence play on the gaming machine. When using such a promotional ticket, the player was required to use all of the promotional gaming credits on a single gaming machine.
A second type of conventional gaming machine of the general type noted above was provided with a magnetic card reader that was capable of reading a player tracking card. The player tracking card had magnetic data encoded thereon that included data representing the identity of a player. The second type of conventional gaming machine was operatively coupled to a central casino computer. In some cases, the casino would award a player promotional gaming credits, in which case data representing those gaming credits was stored in the central casino computer. The player tracking card did not have any data representing a number of promotional gaming credits recorded thereon. When the player to whom the credits were awarded inserted his or her player tracking card into the card reader of the second type of conventional gaming machine, that gaming machine would read data from the player tracking card and transmit player identification data to the central casino computer. The central casino computer would then cause the gaming machine to award to the player the number of promotional gaming credits stored in the central casino computer. When the player was finished playing, the gaming machine transmitted data to the central casino computer representing the number of promotional credits used by the player, and the central casino computer would then decrease the initial number of promotional credits awarded by the number used. The player could then use the remaining promotional gaming credits by playing a different gaming machine.